Background
Qi Kang was born in 740, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His family was from Ding Prefecture (Chinese: 定州; pinyin: Dìng Zhōu, in modern Baoding, Hebei). and claimed ancestry from the royal Jiang house of the Spring and Autumn Period state Qi. His grandfather Qi Huan (Chinese: 齊澣; pinyin: Qí Huǎn) was a well-known commandery governor during Emperor Xuanzong's reign, although his father Qi Ao (Chinese: 齊翱; pinyin: Qí áo) was described to have served in an insignificant position.
In Qi Kang's youth, the Anshi Rebellion swept over the northern parts of the Tang empire, and he took his mother and fled to Kuaiji (Chinese: 會稽; pinyin: Kuàijī), in modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang), where he spent his time studying. In Kuaiji he met a daughter of the magistrate called Shiling and he married her after courting her for a year. He had two children with her. It was said that he was good at writing, particularly when it came to reports on various matters.
Read more about this topic: Qi Kang (official)
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